Dihydropinosylvinin is an phytoalexin, it shows antifungal activity against Cladosporium cladosporioides, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium schlerotgenum, it also exhibits strong antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, S

Dihydropinosylvin, batatasin IV, demethylbatatasin IV and batatasin III were found in the water yam ( Dioscorea alata ) which had been inoculated with Botryodiplodia theobromae or treated with mercuric chloride. Following induction, transient increases were observed in the first three compounds and this was preceded by a transient increase in the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase but not tyrosine ammonia lyase activity. CONCLUSIONS: In mercuric chloride treated tubers an increase in polyphenol oxidase was also observed. The dormancy inducing compounds Dihydropinosylvin and batatasin IV were also found to inhibit the germination of seeds of and root elongation in young seedlings of Sorghum bicolor . By comparison, demethylbatatasin IV was not inhibitory.